


I'll Be Home For Christmas

by nekojita



Series: Clouds AU [3]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Andrew discovers Christmas puddings, Andrew is studying aboard, It's a bit soft, M/M, Neil works in a coffee shop, atfgholidayzine, both of them attend university, boys are a bit more settled here, it's the beginning of a long and beautiful relationship, references to Andrew's past, references to Neil's past, the boys' first christmas together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 06:23:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17156882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nekojita/pseuds/nekojita
Summary: Still studying abroad in the UK, Andrew spends his first Christmas (a holiday which has never held any special meaning let alone good memories) with his boyfriend, Neil. They take steps together to make the occasion something special as they cautiously build a life together.My contribution for the 2018 AFTG Winter/Holiday Fanzine





	I'll Be Home For Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> So, it's more Clouds AU! This was written for the AFTG Winter Fanzine (which you can find here - https://faintlyglow.itch.io/heathensgreetings-aftg-fanzine2018 - sorry for no fancy link), which is for a great cause. 
> 
> Uhm, there's just vague references to Andrew's past as well as Neil's, nothing specific.

*******

“So, off to Neil’s, are you?” Prasad asked as he set his rather full suitcase down on his bed, a nervous smile on his face for some reason; Andrew couldn’t say that they were the best of friends, but he’d signed on for another year with the guy as a roommate since he was bearable and they got along… well, Andrew didn’t mind sharing a room with him. Prasad still prattled on too much about cricket and his girlfriend, but he respected Andrew’s space and kept his half of the room mostly clean, along with the bathroom, and he didn’t give a damn about the fact that Andrew was gay.

It helped that Andrew’s boyfriend usually sent him back to the dorm with plenty of mincemeat pies.

“Yes.” Andrew reached into his desk’s drawer for the badly wrapped package (it was too squishy) and flung it at his roommate, which startled a laugh out of Prasad. “Here, I know you’ll appreciate it.

Prasad appeared confused until he opened it then laughed again, that time the sound more genuine as he held up the dark blue and white scarf emblazoned with the stylized thistle symbol of the Scottish National Cricket team. “Ah, my cousin Jay is gonna have a _fit_ when he sees this, he is.” A huge grin spread across the young man’s swarthy face. “I l _ove_ it,” he declared as he fetched a card out of his bag. “Now I don’t feel so odd about this,” he said as he threw it toward Andrew.

‘It’ turned out to be a silly holiday card with an Amazon.UK gift card inside of it, which Andrew appreciated; Neil still had to work a few days at the Bolt-Hole during the holiday break, so Andrew would need something to read while he hung out at the coffee shop. He nodded in thanks and went to grab his backpack and duffel bag, and gave a quick salute to Prasad on his way out the door.

The campus wasn’t as busy as usual, and the few students Andrew saw were much like him – bundled up against the cold weather and bearing bags as they headed ‘home’. He caught the bus to the Bolt-Hole, the middle-aged man behind the wheel greeting him with a friendly smile since he saw Andrew at least twice a week, and waited until he was near his usual ‘seat’ to drive off.

The coffee shop had a few customers in it when Andrew arrived, which was a surprise; Neil appeared a bit harried by their presence and had his ‘I don’t like dealing with people’ blank mask on as he made coffee and served slices of desserts to customers who sounded to be American tourists who’d come in from out of the cold. One of them was a young woman who attempted to flirt with Neil, only for him to continue to give her a blank look and take the whole ‘British civility’ thing to an artform. She finally got the hint when he slid the piece of cranberry tart halfway across the counter to her then took a hasty step back.

Andrew set his bags down at his usual table and waited for the group to be seated before he approached the counter. “Got anything good?” he asked as he leaned onto the smooth wooden surface.

Neil’s demeanor changed in an instant from cold and shut-off to smiling and open. “Something that’s about eighty-percent sugar, I swear, so I’m sure you’ll love it.”

“Get to it,” Andrew said as he snapped his fingers, and craned his neck for a better view when Neil turned his back to start on the usual double-mocha. Hmm, someone was wearing the one pair of skinny jeans with the light grey sweater that wasn’t three sizes too big, how nice.

Almost as nice was the large slice of what turned out to be some sort of spice cake that was half buttercream frosting. Andrew arched an eyebrow at the sugary confection as well as his boyfriend’s smile, then took it and his coffee back to his table. Along the way, he heard the one girl mutter about ‘what makes _him_ so special’.

Well, there was the fact that he’d decided to live in a country across the ocean from his birthplace for a certain polyglot barista who wasn’t swayed by simple things like simpering smiles, but it was more than that. The girl got up for another drink only to receive the same cold treatment, and left with her friends a short time later.

“About damn time,” Neil complained as he came out to clean up the mess they left behind. “Bloody Yanks.” He canted a teasing smile at Andrew while he said that, who paused in reading to give him a narrow look and a rude gesture.

Once Neil had cleaned the table, Andrew banged his empty mug a couple of times until Neil came back out into the dining area. “More.”

“Bloody demanding Yanks,” Neil grumbled, but as he leaned in to accept the mug, he allowed Andrew to slowly grab the front of his sweater and pull him in for a kiss. “Mmph, too sweet,” he noted when he pulled away.

“And another slice of cake,” Andrew added as he pushed the empty plate forward, too.

“You better have something decent to eat later,” Neil chided as he picked it up as well before he left.

Neil returned with more cake and coffee, then busied himself with tending to the shop so they could leave as soon as it closed; he was handing over a package to one of the ‘regulars’ when Andrew’s phone rang, an incoming call from Nicky.

“What?”

“And season’s greetings to you, too,” Nicky sighed. “Come on, it’s the holidays! You finished your semester and have a month off! Shouldn’t you be happy?”

“Yes, and now I have a pest bothering me,” Andrew pointed out.

“That’s not nice,” Nicky complained with an exaggerated sniff. “Are you out of the dorms yet? Is Neil there?”

“I’m with him, but he’s busy,” Andrew added before his cousin started whining to talk to his boyfriend; he’d had to introduce Nicky and Erik to Neil at last, and Neil got along surprisingly well with his family as long as Nicky kept his exuberance under control. “He’s working, which you should be doing.”

“I’m on break,” Nicky grumbled. “I just wanted to make sure that we’re still on for meeting up in London for the year end.” He was quiet for a moment while Andrew slipped free a cigarette. “We are, aren’t we? Erik confirmed the hotel reservations today.”

“Yes,” Andrew breathed out before he lit the cigarette. “So get all of your crazy holiday shit out of the way before then, okay?” Neil didn’t need to deal with Nicky in Christmas overdrive.

“Okay! Okay,” Nicky said with a laugh. “We’re going to out of town after Sunday and the cell phone reception’s a bit spotty at the ski lodge, so don’t panic if you don’t hear from us until Christmas Eve or so, all right.”

“I won’t.” Erik and his family were there to take care of Nicky, so Andrew wasn’t concerned at all. “Do me a favor and get eaten by a polar bear.”

Nicky laughed at that and told him to give Neil a hug for him before he hung up. That left Andrew another half an hour to kill before the shop closed, so he looked up a few new books to buy with Prasad’s gift card.

Bren came in a few minutes early and chatted while Neil boxed up some cakes for the bodyguard to take home (as well as Andrew), and once everything was locked up, gave them a ride to Neil’s apartment, where Andrew would be spending most of the holiday break.

Pita was waiting for them at the door, loud meows pouring free to let them know that she was horribly, _horribly_ starved. Neil picked the spoiled black cat up and carried her into the kitchen to feed her while Andrew dropped his stuff in the bedroom, then he went to join the two in the kitchen to find Pita purring while she ate and Neil searching the fridge. “Ah, how about some omelets? We can go to the grocers after I close the shop tomorrow.”

Andrew shrugged to show that was fine with him, and fetched the bottle of whiskey in the one cabinet to pour himself something to drink while Neil started on their dinner. He leaned against the counter and instructed his boyfriend (ten months and he still felt a shiver of disbelief that they were… that they _were_ ) on what to put in his omelet while Pita curled up at his feet and meowed for attention.

Neil rolled his eyes and sneaked small bits of cheese to the damn cat while he cooked, along with pieces of cooked egg, then they sat down at the tiny table barely big enough for two people once dinner was done to eat while they talked about what to watch that night.

He had a month to look forward to this (more or less), a month of quiet nights in Neil’s small apartment with the comfortable couch and a bed piled high with warm blankets, with a clingy cat and sweets in the kitchen which were only there because of him.

They’d spend some time in London after Christmas, a couple of days with Neil’s family and then a few more with Nicky and Erik, but for the most part it would just be the two of them, their first Christmas together and the first time that Andrew had stayed over for more than a couple of nights. There had been weekends and smaller holidays together, trips out of town and times when they needed to be alone together, but this… this was a trial run of sorts for next summer when Andrew graduated.

He’d never planned things so far ahead before… but then again, he’d never had someone like _Neil_ in his life before, either.

Somehow, the future wasn’t a looming black hole anymore, was when the deal with Aaron was null and void and he was set adrift on his own. That deal was basically over now and he’d left it (and everything in South Carolina) on his own, and had found a new life without even trying.

“Thinking about one of your finals?” Neil asked as he put the dishes in the sink to do later. “Thought you were confident that you’d ace them all.”

“I was and I did,” Andrew assured him while they settled on the couch, Pita quick to curl up on Neil’s lap once they were tucked beneath the blanket. “Just wondering how much cat hair I’m going to have all over my stuff by the time I leave here.”

“What do you care? It’s black, too.” Neil stuck his tongue out at Andrew while he hugged a purring Pita close, then laughed when Andrew poked him in the cheek. “You two should get along better!”

“And you shouldn’t talk, so hush.”

“Hmm.” Neil gave him a questioning look before resting against him some more, and let out a happy little murmur when Andrew draped an arm over his shoulders before he searched for the series they’d agreed upon during dinner, a German one Nicky had recommended. They watched a few episodes before stopping for the night.

Pita leapt to the floor with an offended ‘meep’ when Andrew pulled Neil onto his lap once the television was turned off, not quite ready to go into the bedroom just yet. The sight of his boyfriend’s smile and the husky sound of ‘yes’ made him want to shiver in anticipation, an urge he suppressed as he slid his hands beneath Neil’s sweater.

“Waist?” Neil asked as his hands hovered near Andrew’s chest.

“Above it for now,” Andrew answered, familiar with the question by then, familiar with letting Neil touch him, with the boundaries they’d mapped out with each other, the trust that had been built up over the months together. Neil didn’t mind Andrew removing his clothes once they were alone, and waited to do the same until Andrew said it was all right. Neither of them liked being pinned down suddenly, though Neil was fine with Andrew holding onto his wrists and being on top as long as Andrew let go or moved away the moment it became too much, and Neil didn’t hold against Andrew his need to be in control or to remain a bit distant at times.

He supposed what made them ‘work’ was that they were both damaged yet doing what they could to put themselves back together and move forward, that they understood what it felt like to have someone do their best to break you into nothing yet refuse to give in.

It hadn’t been easy, not after everything they’d lived through, but they’d gotten to the point that Andrew was comfortable with Neil on his lap, with holding him close and feeling hands gently comb through his hair then stroke down his chest and arms, to have Neil rock against him as he stroked his own hands along warm skin marred by long-healed scars. He allowed his sweatshirt to be pulled off and kisses trailed down his neck until that shiver finally broke free from the pleasure which steadily built up inside him, and kissed the knowing smirk off his boyfriend’s gorgeous face.

When Neil took to squirming on his lap, he undid both their jeans and pushed down their pants to expose their cocks, Neil chanting ‘yes’ in-between the kisses he peppered along Andrew’s jaw. A breathy moan escaped him when Andrew took them both in hand, his thick eyelashes fluttering and cheeks darkening, such a pretty sight that Andrew drank in as he threaded the fingers of his left hand in the tousled mess of dark hair and tugged to make Neil arch _his_ neck so Andrew could suck on it while he jerked them both off.

Neil came after a few quick, firm strokes, Andrew’s name spilling out as a low growl while his body tensed, and it didn’t take long for Andrew to follow. They both slumped in lassitude afterward, Andrew back onto the couch and Neil onto him, the room quiet save for the sound of Pita crunching on the last of her dry from the kitchen, until Andrew sighed about a minute later in discomfort. “Shower.”

“Yeah.” Neil gave a content moan as he straightened up, his arms stretched above his head and lean body arched in an attractive enough manner to make Andrew contemplate dragging him along for a moment until he remembered the size of the shower. “Your flannel’s out.” Neil wrinkled his nose when Andrew grabbed his sweatshirt to wipe his hand and chest clean. “We can do laundry tomorrow, too,” he added as he stood then gathered up their loose clothing, the sweatshirt included.

Andrew shrugged to show that he didn’t care before he hitched up his pants and went off to the tiny bathroom; Neil had indeed put out the black washcloth and towel he’d bought for whenever Andrew spent the night, a joke between them. He showered and got ready for bed (using the toothbrush he kept there), and left the bathroom so Neil could take his turn.

Neil’s bed was bigger than Andrew’s back in the dorm room, was big enough for the two of them to sleep in, him with his back against the wall and space between them (and Pita thrown in, the damn cat), though it usually took Andrew at least a night to adjust to the fact that there was another person in the bed. He still felt relaxed after his orgasm and it had been a long week because of finals, so that might explain why the presence of a freshly washed and sleepy Neil didn’t bother him as much as usual, why he felt comfortable draping his left arm over his boyfriend’s waist after tucking one of his armbands beneath his pillow (aware that Neil had a gun in the nightstand, on top of which the other armband rested) and let himself slowly drift off to sleep.

Neil woke up first in the morning and left Andrew in bed with a quick kiss as he went out to do his morning run, left Andrew with warm blankets and a lump of a cat who took up too much space, to enjoy the first day of his break. When he finally did wake up, it was to find a freshly showered Neil in the kitchen making that odd eggs in toast thing he did now and then, and a brewed pot of coffee. They ate breakfast together before Bren took them to the Bolt-Hole so Neil could work for a few hours.

Andrew had his sugary coffees and two slices of the spice cake while Neil dealt with the customers (more tourists and the few regulars), then they skipped the usual ride ‘home’ so they could do some grocery shopping. It meant walking around in the cold weather, something which Andrew usually hated, but Neil was in such good spirits and promised to make mulled wine when they returned to the apartment that he couldn’t do much more than grumble a little beneath his breath.

(Besides, Neil kept fussing with Andrew’s scarf and walking right next to him to help keep him warm.)

They stocked up on food for the next few days, and Neil bought a packet of holiday crackers after careful consideration. They’d have to shop again for the actual holiday, but they had enough to last them until then, especially since Neil would only be working half-days at the café the next week.

Neil kept his promise to make mulled wine when they got back to the apartment, so Andrew got to enjoy a tipsy, cuddly boyfriend while they watched more movies and cooked together. The next day they spent visiting several of the Christmas markets around the city, another day out on the cold where Neil bought him warm drinks and fussed over his hat and scarf, where he let Andrew pull him close for a kiss or two in public (it warmed his nose – so what if it also made people stop gazing after the idiot).

Andrew bought a stained glass piece of art for Nicky, the colors something that would go well with his cousin’s apartment, and a leather wristband for Erik, while Neil picked up a few items for his family and Bren. There were also some sweets purchased, enough that they were laden with bags to carry home, but the happy smile on Neil’s face made it all worthwhile.

Christmas had never been a holiday that Andrew cared about before, even after Nicky had stepped in to keep Luther from gaining custody of him and Aaron. Not even those years with Cass because of _Drake_. Something had always ruined it for him – the various foster family’s indifference if not outright ignorance (abuse), the nights to suffer through once the celebrations were over and everyone else ( _almost_ everyone) was asleep, Aaron’s anger over the fact that he had to spend the holidays with Andrew and not _Tilda_ ….

Yet for the first time ever, Andrew had someone at his side who didn’t care about decorations or going to church or any of the stupid peripherals, just that they spent time together, that it was the two of them and they enjoyed the upcoming days (someone who understood boundaries and ‘no’ and monsters). Neil had rarely celebrated the holiday while growing up, had endured stressful days of putting on the show of a ‘loving’ family while still living with his abusive father and then ignored it all-together when on the run with his mother. His uncles included him in the family’s celebrations once his mother had died and he’d taken shelter with them, but he found the holidays to be overwhelming and preferred smaller gatherings.

They got take-out that evening and ate it while huddled together beneath the blanket on the couch (along with the sweets they bought at the market – at least Andrew did) while playing games on the Playstation which Andrew had bought for that purpose. Neil was a very cut-throat player once he learned the basics of the game, which made it amusing, but the winner claimed a kiss (and sometimes more) at the end so Andrew wasn’t going to lose.

(Neil never sulked for long when he lost.)

The week went by quickly, between tending to the Bolt-Hole and wandering around Manchester, awash with holiday events because of the season. Neil took pictures of the various markets and decorations, which he sent off to his cousins and even to Nicky, which made the pest send nearly incoherent texts to Andrew along the lines of ‘OMFG keep him or ELSE!!!’.

If Andrew had any dark spells or nightmares, all he had to do was focus on Neil, was look at the gorgeous idiot sleeping next to him or playing with a spoiled furball or busy making him another mocha or some stupid British dish he didn’t like _at all_ (not really) but ate anyway just so Neil wouldn’t be upset (that was it, _really_ ), and somehow it was better.

They made plans to head back to Scotland after the new year and before classes resumed, a couple of days in Inverness since they hadn’t spent much time in that city. One of the first things Andrew intended to buy after he got his Bachelor’s was a car, already thinking of the trips they could take with it instead of the train, of them driving around Europe as well.

Neil was an insidious, vile presence in his life.

“I hate you,” he told his boyfriend while they prepared to go out for the holiday groceries.

Neil blinked at that usual declaration then smiled. “Of course you do. Wait until spring to bury me, though, the ground’s too hard right now.”

“I’m going to throw you into the water at Inverness,” Andrew informed him with grave sincerity. “Be sure to eat a lot the next few days to help weigh you down.”

“I’ll do my best.” Neil held out his right hand once they were outside, which Andrew accepted with a weary sigh. A truly terrible, insidious presence indeed.

They settled on a couple of Cornish hens since Neil’s oven was too small for a turkey (that and it was just the two of them), and grabbed everything else they needed for the meal. They had Chinese take-out on Christmas Eve and some wine, and for once Andrew went to bed without any dark thoughts about the following day, without a sense of dread or nightmares chasing him into the dawn.

(Having a purring furball at his feet and an armful of sleeping idiot tucked against him may have helped.)

Neil didn’t start the day with a run for once, but woke him with a kiss that led to something much more enjoyable, led to him lying there while Neil gave him a blowjob that would have been the best Christmas present he ever got, except after he returned the favor and they showered and dressed, a suddenly shy Neil led him into the kitchen then went to fetch a large, brightly wrapped present which was set down in front of Andrew.

He eyed it with reservation for a moment before he opened it to reveal a limited edition pair of Doc Martins he’d been debating on but hadn’t managed to buy before they sold out in his size, too busy with classes and Neil. There also was a new pack of disposable lighters in the box (he tended to tuck them away in various places) and another gift card for Amazon.

“Ah, I hope you like everything?” Neil asked with a nervous smile which strengthened when he was slowly pulled in for a kiss.

While he started the coffee brewing, Andrew went to grab the present he’d tucked into his duffel bag, one that made the smile even brighter and Neil’s pale blue eyes shine (another present of sorts, him leaving the damn contacts out that day since it was just the two of them). Judging from the kiss Neil gave him after opening it, Andrew would say that he was _very_ happy about the camera, which Andrew had decided to buy after watching his boyfriend take all those pictures with his phone during their trips and excursions around the country.

The calls started coming while they were busy making dinner; Nicky was already tipsy when he wished Andrew and Neil a ‘Merry Christmas’, and Neil’s Aunt Miriam appeared touched that her nephew asked for help with the Cornish hens and herb stuffing, all too willing to spend half an hour walking him through the dishes while his Uncle William and various cousins chimed in from the background.

Bren texted while Andrew was cutting up the potatoes, as did Prasad, which made Andrew stare at his phone and wonder how he’d managed to have people other than Nicky bother with him. There was an urge to pretend he never saw the messages, to block them even (they couldn’t hurt him if he didn’t let them in) but he’d moved past that mentality.

He’d mostly moved past that mentality.

He sent a generic Christmas tree text back to both of them and considered his part of the conversation done.

Stuart called right before they sat down to eat; Andrew munched on a Yorkshire pudding while Neil assured his uncle that he was enjoying the quiet holiday and looked forward to seeing him and the rest of the family in a couple of days – it was enough to make Andrew grateful that Nicky was in another country and the only family member talking to him.

The meal turned out a success despite the fact that neither Andrew nor Neil had tried anything so complicated before, something different from the stilted affairs Andrew had suffered through back in the States (especially with Luther and Maria Hemmick), the institutional food served in juvie or Cass’s elaborate dinners choked down while Drake smirked at him from across the table. Instead it was Neil teasing him about eating most of the puddings and stuffing, about them trying a bigger bird next year (should they do a duck or pheasant or go all the way with a turkey?), and saving room for dessert (Christmas puddings which Stuart had sent from London).

“You should love it since it combines two of your favorite things, sweets and alcohol,” Neil said with a grin as he began to clear the plates before Pita tried to jump up on the coffee table.

“It should make being stuck in the presence of a smart-mouthed idiot bearable, at least,” Andrew drawled as he held up his glass to be refilled with whiskey while Neil was headed to the kitchen. “Now hurry up.”

“Such a pretentious git,” Neil muttered, yet the grin remained on his lips as he went to fetch the puddings from the oven. He was returning to the living room with them in bowls and Andrew’s whiskey when Andrew’s phone rang; Andrew frowned since everyone he knew had already called.

Well, everyone but Aaron, he realized when he looked at the name on the screen.

He was about to ignore it when Neil gave him a curious look and internally sighed as he accepted the call, not speaking at first. “Uhm… Andrew? Are you there?”

“Aaron.” He motioned for Neil to hand over the glass of whiskey.

“Okay. Ah, Merry Christmas.” Someone sounded uncertain, a big change from their last conversation when a sullen Aaron had basically told Andrew that it didn’t matter, him staying in England another year. “Nicky told me you’re not with him today when I called to say… well, when I called.”

“Is there a point to this?” Andrew asked as Neil set the bowls containing the Christmas puddings and some sort of cream down on the coffee table; his boyfriend winced which made him think that his tone might have been a little colder than normal. “There’s these things called ‘cards’ if all you wanted to do was send a holiday message.”

Aaron was quiet for a moment and then scoffed. “You might have a new address but you’re still the same asshole. I just… I just thought that it’s the holidays and… it’s the holidays, and that’s supposed to be a time for family.”

It was on the tip of Andrew’s tongue to say that Aaron was the one who didn’t give a damn about family and the promises one kept with them, but he was tired of dealing with the same old bullshit. “It’s late here, I’m in the middle of dinner with Neil.” He could smell the spices and brandy from the pudding, and began to break apart the round sphere with his spoon.

“Neil.” For a moment there was something acrid in Aaron’s voice, something resembling jealousy, and then he sighed. “I forgot about the time difference.”

Yes, he had. Yet when Andrew opened his mouth to make a scathing comment about time zones, Neil shoved a spoonful of pudding into it and gave him an even look while Andrew narrowed his eyes and chewed.

Hmm, could one get Christmas puddings all year round?

“What about your classes?”

“Eh?” Aaron seemed surprised by the question, his voice first tinged with relief as he prattled on about passing everything and maintaining his scholarship, then with excitement about how he should be fine for pre-med school once he graduated. As Andrew had expected when he asked the question, it allowed him time to eat his dessert while Aaron talked, and he noticed the unfamiliar voices in the background during the call; it sounded as if his brother wasn’t at the Hemmicks’ house that year, but at the strumpet’s family.

“You’re doing all right?” Aaron eventually asked. “All set to graduate in the spring?”

“Yes.” Andrew grabbed Neil’s bowl since he only had a few bites of his pudding before giving up, as expected with something so rich. “Though I’m going to continue and get a Master’s.” He wanted to focus on Behavioral Analysis after talking to a couple of professors, who had happily recommended him for the university’s program and mentioned fellowships.

“Oh, so you’re not coming back, then.” For some reason Aaron sounded upset about that.

“No, other than a short trip to tie up a few loose ends.” Andrew figured he might as well tell his brother now since they were talking; Aaron had made his choice with his little cheerleader, and Andrew had found a life in the UK.

He’d found a home, complete with a gorgeous liar (except when dealing with Andrew) and a spoiled furball who was pushed aside for trying to poke her whiskered nose into his bowl of pudding.

“Oh.” For some reason Aaron didn’t sound happy to know that he was finally free of Andrew and his ‘controlling’ ways. “Well, you seem busy… maybe I can call you another night?”

Maybe, but Andrew wouldn’t hold his breath waiting. “Do what you like.” Aaron always did, after all.

“Okay. Merry Christmas, Andrew.”

He gave a low grunt before he hung up, then drained the rest of his whiskey while he stared at his phone. Neil didn’t say anything as he took away the empty bowls then returned with the bottle of whiskey, which he used to refill Andrew’s glass. “I guess it’s something that he called you?”

Neil knew enough about Aaron and the broken promise, just like Andrew knew about Neil’s father and the stories behind the scars he bore.

“Probably a nice dose of holiday-induced guilt brought about by everyone asking him how I was doing,” Andrew answered as he swirled the whiskey about in the glass before he had a sip.

“Perhaps, or maybe he did miss you.” Neil sat down on the couch and motioned for Andrew to join him so they could share the blanket. “What did you think of the puddings?” he asked in an obvious change of subject.

“Get more than two next year,” Andrew ‘suggested’ as he ‘suffered’ Neil curling up next to him.

“I’ll put in the request with Stuart, he’s the one who gets them.”

Nice to know the man was good for something, Andrew thought as they sat in silence save for the sound of instrumental Christmas carols playing the background. Pita jumped up on the couch to lay next to Neil, and other than him giving her head a gentle rub, none of them seemed in the mood to move which was fine with Andrew after all the good food and glasses of whiskey.

It was a quiet, comfortable end to the holiday, the best Christmas he’d ever celebrated. They had plenty of leftovers and no plans for the next day, a little more time for themselves before they had to leave for London and deal with their respective families.

“Hmm, I don’t think I said it but… Merry Christmas,” Neil told him in a quiet, sleepy voice.

“You, too,” Andrew replied as he ignored the urge to get up for a cigarette, unwilling to ruin such a comfortable moment just then – especially when Neil rested his head on Andrew’s shoulder.

He’d never been one to care for holidays, but right then… Christmas didn’t seem so bad. Except for _one_ thing.

“You _sure_ there aren’t any more puddings?”

*******

**Author's Note:**

> To those who celebrate it, I hope you enjoy the holidays, especially a Happy New Year! (not sure there will be any new fic before them, other than a prompt or two?).
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated.


End file.
